As Marsh Regional Blood Center gets set for another round of blood drives across Northeast Tennessee and Southwest Virginia, the blood supplier is once again counting on the region’s youth to help donate blood.

“One out of every three units of blood comes from a high school donor, which is an awesome testament to the younger community giving back,” Marketing Specialist Brian Bishop said. “To us, they are critical. They come, they’re excited and they understand that they’re giving back to people and saving lives.”

Because of this, the blood supplier recently awarded $20,000 worth of scholarships to high schoolers across the region.

“To see the younger generation so in tune with saving local lives is an awesome thing. Twenty thousand sounds like a lot, but the truth is we could never do enough to say thanks to these young people,” Director Don Campbell said in a press release.

Bishop said Marsh is getting set for another “way of showing thanks” to the region’s young donors through their Electric 94.9 Summer Kick Off Pop Show at the Pinnacle in Bristol, Tennessee, featuring We The Kings, In Real Life and Bryce Vine. The free concert will be held June 8 at 6 p.m.

In the meantime, there is still work to be done as the blood supplier prepares for upcoming blood drives.

Bishop said he encourages young people, along with all who are able to donate, to come to one of these upcoming blood drives at the following locations: